Social workers across the globe navigate difficult challenges, guiding individuals to overcome hurdles and live life to their fullest potential. Each March celebrates Social Work Month, a time to highlight how social workers have enriched our society. As an organization founded by a dedicated group of compassionate social workers over 50 years ago, Oaks Integrated Care believes social work makes our communities a better, more inclusive place for all. Oaks CEO Derry Holland shares, “It is important to me, as a licensed clinical social worker, to celebrate and recognize the role social workers play in making our communities a better place to live, work and play.”
This year, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) outlined the theme, “Social Work Breaks Down Barriers” to recognize how social workers serve on the frontlines of our nation, helping to tackle modern challenges such as economic inequality, reproductive rights, racism, and global warming. Social workers provide services in an array of sectors, from mental health organizations like Oaks, to schools and government entities.
For more than a century, social workers have broken barriers to help people live better lives. Our Pledge To Connect program recently received a referral from a local hospital for a woman seeking assistance with linkage to mental health services to manage her longstanding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. Our Emergency Department Specialist met with the client and helped assess all of her social needs. She attended a community-based care management appointment three days after discharge from the hospital. Within 10 days of meeting with our specialist, the client was successfully linked to outpatient mental health services. After previous unsuccessful attempts at navigating the system alone, the client is now on her way to achieving wellness and stability.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social work remains one of the fastest growing professions in the United States, with more than 700,000 professional social workers nationwide. Today’s leading social workers break down economic and psychological barriers to provide better care for children, and even help tackle obstacles that keep individuals from exercising their right to vote.
Oaks is proud to support our social workers who work tirelessly to serve the children, adults and families in our programs throughout New Jersey. To learn more about social work career opportunities at Oaks, visit our careers page or contact a Recruiter at 609-845-3731.
